Journey of Hope
by Tsuki Kakumei
Summary: She, a wanted fugitive who spent most of her teenage years as a captive, was filled with not anger, but hope. And He, a desolate soul who has lost his way, never knew that salvation was within his grasp if only he would reach out towards it.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I'm saying this now for all future chapters, I don't own Tales of Symphonia.**

A/N: Uh oh. I may have started another long multi-chapter fic by accident. There are many ToS prequels featuring Kranna, but I hope that this will add a twist of difference to the bunch. Enjoy and reviews are much appreciated!

EDIT: I've re-uploaded an edited version of this chapter to avoid some confusion from the previous one. Thanks to CranberryVishnu for your help!

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Alarms rang throughout the facility and amber lights continuously flashed as a stampede of armored soldiers ran down the corridors shouting orders at each other.

"Have you checked the upper levels?!"

"Yes, sir, and it's all clear!"

"What about the bottom?"

"We're in the middle of it now and still no sign, sir!"

"Well do better! Find the escapee! We can't afford to let the filth leave!"

"Sir, yes, sir!"

Gaunt faces in the shadows peered behind their gray prison cells in curiosity. What had happened to cause such an uproar? One of these prisoners, a child no older than seven, dragged their tiny body towards the light and meagerly grasped the cold bars with their boney fingers. An armored boot slammed into the bars nearly clipping the child's fingers before they scampered back into the shadows.

"What do you think you're looking at, you filthy maggot?! There's nothing to see here!" The guard snarled.

"Hey!" Another guard called to the first, "Quit messing around! We need to find the escapee or else it'll be our heads!"

Growling some more, the first guard kicked the bars one last time before following the other guard. A bundle of brown, stain filled blankets lay crumpled in a corner in what was believed to be an empty cell. Slight movement ensued under the large pieces of cloth until a small gap big enough to peer out of, spied that the coast was clear. Slowly so as to not attract attention to theirself, the person crawled out from beneath the blankets and crept over to the cell gate. Glancing first left then right, the person slid the gate open as quietly as possible. Luckily the escapee managed to find the only empty cell to hide into and didn't accidentally close the gate all the way in their haste. Normally the gate locks automatically once it's closed and can't be open again without a keycard that only the guards carried, but the person left just enough space between the wall and the gate that it didn't catch and it gave the illusion of being completely closed.

Slipping out of the cell, the prisoner slinked along the walls, making sure to stick to the shadows. Laying a dirt smudged hand on the frame of the open doorway, the escapee glanced over their shoulder to see the rows upon rows of haggard prisoners - no, that wasn't exactly right. They were _captives_, almost like hostages being held as prisoners for nothing more than being _human_.

Sadness entered the person's chocolate orbs as their head shook back and forth. _I'm sorry for leaving you all here, but one day I'll be sure to free you all._ With one last look, the person faced forward and ran into the empty corridor.

Arriving at a 'T' intersection, the escapee was just about to take a left before slamming back behind a protruding section. A group of four guards stormed across the about to be taken path, pieces of their armor and weapons clanging against each other as they ran past. Chocolate orbs closed as their hand lay against their chest to stop the furious pounding of their heart. Breathing a sigh of relief, the prisoner cautiously peeked around the corner and dashed through.

Finally after what felt like hours of tense evasion of the guards and security cameras, the person ended up at the pivotal spot that would make their escape exactly that. An air vent that was located about ten feet above ground was the road to freedom. Everyday the person had visualized this moment and knew what had to be done, and it was time to make it happen. Taking a deep breath, the person sprinted towards a curved pipe jutting out of the floor that was off to one side, and used it as a stepping stool to jump up to an overhanging pipe running along the ceiling.

Success! Hanging onto the pipe with both hands, the escapee shimmied above ground until coming face to face with a steel grated air vent. Freeing one hand, the person reached out to the grate and was surprised to find it open. The hinges at the top were rusted and squeaked noisily when hastily moved, but there was no time to take things slow and quiet when the sound of angry chattering could be faintly heard down the hallway. Moving quickly, the person swung the grate up, flinching at the nails on chalkboard screech and clambered into the air vent. Struggling to pull the grate down without giving away their position, the prisoner slipped their fingers into the holes and yanked backwards, accidentally leaving slight finger indents in the steel. The metal managed to jerk closed just as another group of guards neared their hiding spot.

The escapee laid flat, keeping face down and scooted back through the dust and grime. Retreating away from the light, the prisoner peered over a tattered sleeve just enough to see out of the slits. Three out of the four guards passed by when the lagger of the group stopped before the air vent. _C'mon, c'mon, what are you waiting for?! Just move on!_

A foreboding tingle crept upon their nose. _No, not now, not when I'm so close! C'mon nose, don't do this! It's mind over matter. I won't sneeze. I'm not going to sneeze. I'm _not_ going to get caught by sneezing._ The person cupped both hands around their nose and mouth, pressing against them with all their might to prevent the oncoming sneeze.

"What's the hold up?"

"Ah, c'mon man! We've already scouted this area like three times and there's still no sign of the escapee! I'm tired and it's going to be my turn for rotations in a couple of hour – OW! What was that for?!" The leader of the group, presumably, marched towards the lagger and smacked him upside the head, helmet and all, with his gauntlet encased hand.

"Shape up, soldier! Do you know what happens to men who refuse to follow orders? They are no longer needed and become terminated! And it's a well known fact that our Lord is not the forgiving kind. Do. You. Understand."

"… Yes, sir."

"Good, man. Now we're going to search this place from top to bottom no matter what. No matter how long it takes we're leaving no stone unturned." The leader marched forward to his waiting men as the lagger followed behind, grumbling under his breath while rubbing his sore head.

"Achoo!" a high pitched sneeze squeaked out from the vent. _Finally,_ lightly sniffling and wiping their nose on the edge of the gray sleeve to rid the rest of the tingles, the escapee turned around and crawled across the dusty vent. The person took a series of twists and turns in the near darkness of the shaft, never once losing their way. Another person might've become confused after the first few corners, but not this one. The escapee had spent _years_ memorizing the layout of this horrendous prison and knew it like the back of their hand while their captors were none the wiser.

After taking another left turn, a weak stream of light filtered through up ahead. Crawling faster, the escapee reached another grate and with a forceful kick, the metal grate broke off its hinges. Dragging their tired body forward, the escapee fell out of the air vent onto the grassy ground in an ungraceful heap and quickly scrambled to their feet.

The person ran far into the surrounding forest until their sides ached with a painful stitch and the facility was nothing more than a dark speck in the distance. Leaning against a tree, their waifish shoulders sagged in exhaustion from the escape and closed their eyes taking in the gentle night air cooling their flushed and sweaty skin, the rough bark of the tree instead of smooth metal, the rich smell of pine and earth; not sweat, blood, and sickness, and the blades of glass poking through the many holes of their cheap cloth shoes.

The escapee had done it.

For the first time since being captured at the age of fifteen, Anna Irving knew what true freedom was.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Short chapter is short, but hey, at least it's an update! It's been years since I last played the game so my memory of some of the places may be a bit rusty. Thank you for the reviews and follows, they always make my day!

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A cool breeze blew through the area gently rustling full green leaves upon their perch. The morning sun rising over the horizon signaled that a new day has begun as the sweet chirping of birds in the distance lazily flew along the air. Another gust of cool morning air swept past causing the curled lump of brown lying on the ground to shiver and gooseflesh to prickle along their exposed skin in an instant.

Groaning and mumbling under her breath, Anna uncurled from the tight ball she slept in, rubbing her eyes to rid the last remnants of sleep and stretching as far and wide as possible. A series of cracks and pops ran down her spine as her well used muscles burned and protested against the strain of the stretch, but a second later the burning turned into a dull pleasant ache. Relaxing her tired body against the dewy grass, Anna closed her chocolate orbs and relished the feel of the morning sun slowly warming her chilled body. Knowing she couldn't lay there forever she gingerly got to her feet and looked around.

Foliage surrounded her on all sides as far as she could see. The more she walked in her aimless direction the more of the same she saw. It was either a tree, tree, bush, grass, bush, and more trees except for the large lake she accidentally stumbled across.

Lush trees surrounded the edge of the lake and the water shined a crystalline blue. Rays of sunlight broke through the thick canopy of leaves to shine down upon the serene water. Anna became mesmerized by the flickering rainbow of sparkles reflecting off the large pool of blue.

"Lake Umacy..." She whispered in awe. In her mad escape she had managed to travel south of the human facility and reached one of the most beautiful landmarks in Sylvarant.

Tearing off a long strip of fabric from the bottom of her shapeless prison dress (more like a sack with sleeves), Anna quickly stripped herself of all clothing and dipped her feet into the cold water creating ripples in the once calm lake. She waddled in until she was about waist-deep and washed herself the best she could without the aid of soap and shampoo. Rivulets of clean water streaked down her body becoming a muddy brown. The dirty water soon mixed with the larger pool of liquid surrounding her, swirling and rippling until dispersing like wisps of smoke, leaving the lake once again pure and blue.

Anna scrubbed away at least a few days worth of sweat and grime. Peach colored skin was uncovered underneath a layer of caked on dirt. She took a deep breath and dunked under water, furiously scrubbing her hair before breaking the surface for air. She repeated the action and when she was satisfied that her hair was free of every bit of dirt, twigs and leaves, her fingers carded through the thick strands of hair, twisting and wringing out every drop of water before flinging it over her shoulder. What was once a dark brown, nearly black, hair was now a light caramel brown.

Feeling refreshed and clean, Anna left the lake and shook off as much water as possible before donning her gray prison garb again. It was amazing how a simple bath could reinvigorate her spirits.

She foraged around for a simple breakfast of miscellaneous berries and apples, and tried to decide her next course of action. She could continue traveling south until reaching the windy city of Asgard or go east towards her home town of Luin, either way the Human Ranch was still too close for comfort.

"I need supplies and a change of clothes. I guess the closest place would be... Luin." She mumbled to herself, finishing the last of her apple and tossing the core into some bushes. She clumsily wrapped her left hand in the torn piece of fabric and set off east.

By the time Anna saw the arch of the wooden bridge leading into Luin, the sun was dipping low in the sky turning into early evening. What should have been less than half a day's journey of walking at most turned into double of that if she had stuck to the main roads. She did her best to stay clear of any major paths trying to remain unseen; trekking through more forests and climbing around steep cliffs, avoiding bandits and monsters alike. Anna was positive that at one point she was closer to Asgard than Luin when she spotted smoke from a campfire drifting upwards and heard the laughing roar of some bandits, forcing her to backtrack and going around, giving the camp as wide a berth as possible. By some luck, that was the only instance of almost getting caught as the rest of the journey to Luin went smoothly albeit quite long.

The sun began its descent into the horizon as Anna lightly stepped onto the sturdy wood. The soft thumps of her steps followed by the gentle splashes of rushing water hitting against the aging support beams brought a wave of nostalgia. How many times had she walked across this very same bridge in her youth? Whether she was coming or going, the sounds were always the same and they never failed to bring her comfort.

Her chocolate orbs lined with tears as it finally hit her.

This was Luin. The peaceful town built upon Lake Sinoa that has seen too much devastation in its days - will always see too much devastation. The town which had fallen after every hurdle, but always, _always_, managed to rise back from the ashes; the town that was aptly named the City of Hope because no matter how many times the buildings were reduced to rubble and the people beaten down, Luin will _never_ remain a lifeless husk, but become a survivor full of bustling life and colors. And this beautiful town is hers to call home.

Anna was finally back to where she belonged.


End file.
